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As America’s population has shifted from a farm-based economy to one driven by jobs in urban areas, a smaller number of farms are producing the vast majority of the country’s food.That transformation, along with a change in attitudes about how food is produced, has led to what is known as the “food movement” – mainly made up of groups critical of food production practices and farm policies.

Jayson Lusk, best-selling author on food and social issues and head of the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University says “The term really applies to individuals and organizations seeking to remake our food system and move us away from industrial agriculture.”

Jerry Haun, runs a small meat processing outfit in Washington state and says that although there are currently less small and medium sized meat processors, the popularity of purchasing a side of beef from a local rancher has been a boon to his industry. Haun: “People come in and we have cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and goat — and also on sausage options, smoking and curing options. We individually talk to every person who buys a portion of a beef or a half of a pork and we talk them through the customize cuts to their needs.”